Intel Core i5-2540M

The Intel Core i5-2540M is a second generation dual core processor for mobile computers. The Intel Core i5-2540M is based on the Sandy Bridge architecture and features Hyper Treading technology to handle 4 threads at once that increases the processor performance by 20%.

The Intel Core i5-2540M offers a smaller level 3 cache of 3 MB, 512 kB level 2 cache and 128 kB level 1 cache. This Intel Core i5-2450M dual-core processor has a base clock speed of 2.6 GHz but because of TurboBoost technology it can speed up to 3.1 GHz when 2 cores are active and 3.3 GHz when only 1 core is active, Turbo Boost can be achieved when the thermal and electrical aspects are met.

The Sandy Bridge architecture is the successor of the Arrandale architecture and the most remarkable improvements of this architecture is the improved Turbo Boost 2.0 and the integration of the graphics and memory controller into the 32nm CPU core. This is the equivalent of the APU technology introduced by the AMD. The Core i5-2540M has an integrated graphics controller called Intel HD Graphics 3000 which is faster than the old Intel HD Graphics in the older CPU architecture because the GPU is now integrated and shares the same level 3 cache with the CPU cores the Intel Core i5-2540M’s integrated GPU is clocked at 650 to 1300MHz because of the GPU Turbo Boost.

The Intel Core i5-2540M dual core processor has 35 Watt TDP; this includes the integrated GPU and memory controller. The Intel Core I5-2540M has a PassMark Rating of 3862. Below is the list of processors with corresponding PassMark rating compared to Core i5-2540M. The higher the value the better the performance.

Processors	Passmark Rating
Intel Atom N435	246
Intel Atom N280	315
AMD E-240	317
Intel Atom N450	318
Intel Atom N455	321
AMD C-50	453
Intel Atom N2600	543
Intel Atom N550	567
AMD C-60	592
AMD E-300	595
Intel Atom N570	646
Intel Atom N2800	723
AMD E-350 APU	725
AMD E-450	743
Intel Celeron 867	1255
Intel Core i3 380UM	1305
Intel Celeron B815	1346
AMD Athlon II P360	1348
Celeron B800	1379
AMD A4-3310MX	1417
AMD Turion II P540	1497
Pentium T4500	1546
Pentium P6200	1624
Pentium P6300	1679
AMD E2-3000M	1857
Intel Core i3-2367M	1884
Intel Pentium B940	1878
Intel Pentium B950	1976
AMD A8-3520M	2014
AMD A4-3300M	2196
intel Core i3-370M	2220
Pentium B960	2282
Intel Core i3 380M	2313
AMD A6-3420M	2321
Core i5-2467M	2371
Intel Core i5-2557M	2590
Intel Core i5 460M	2612
Intel Core i3 2310M	2619
Intel Core i5 560M	2671
Intel Core i7 620M	2794
Intel Core i3 2330M	2803
Intel Core i3-2350M	3084
AMD A8-3530MX	3151
AMD A6-3410MX APU	3157
AMD A8-3500M	3166
Intel Core i7-2677M	3176
Intel Core i7 720QM	3294
Intel Core i7 2637M	3328
Intel Core i5 2410M	3350
AMD A8-3510MX	3359
Intel Core i5 2430M	3484
AMD A6-3400M	3539
Intel Core i5 2520M	3586
Intel Core i5 2450M	3827
Intel Core i5 2540M	3862
Intel Core i7 2620M	3907
Intel Core i7 2640M	4209
Intel Core i7 2675QM	6128
Intel Core i7 2630QM	6334
Intel Core i7 2635QM	6574
Intel Core i7 2670QM	6804
Intel Core i7 2720QM	7040
Intel Core i7 2820QM	7495
Intel Core i7 2760QM	7586
Intel Core i7 2920XM	7680
Intel Core i7 2860QM	7912
Intel Core i7 2960XM	8861